The Prose Edda
Snorri Sturluson (Rasmus Anderson translation)
1,062 passages indexed from The Prose Edda (Snorri Sturluson (Rasmus Anderson translation)) — Page 14 of 22
License: Public Domain
The Prose Edda, passage 535
And the men wont to battle Went forth. The message of death Came of the moon-devourer’s women, When the cunning and wrathful Conqueror of Loke Challenged to a contest The giantess.
The Prose Edda, passage 22
The records of our Teutonic past have hitherto received but slight attention from the English-speaking branch of the great world-ash Ygdrasil. This indifference is the more deplorable, since a knowledge of our heroic forefathers would naturally operate as a most powerful means of keeping alive among us, and our posterity, that spirit of courage, enterprise and independence for which the old Teutons were so distinguished.
The Prose Edda, passage 288
The eighth is Lofn, who is kind and good to those who call upon her, and she has permission from Alfather or Frigg to bring together men and women, no matter what difficulties may stand in the way; therefore “love” is so called from her name, and also that which is much loved by men. The ninth is Var. She hears the oaths and troths that men and women plight to each other. Hence such vows are called vars, and she takes vengeance on those who break their promises.
The Prose Edda, passage 745
[Footnote 123: Sigtun. _Sige_, Ger. Sieg, (comp. Sigfrid,) means victory, and is one of Odin’s names; _tun_ means an inclosure, and is the same word as our modern English _town_. Thus Sigtun would, in modern English, be called Odinstown; like our Johnstown, Williamstown, etc.]
The Prose Edda, passage 77
On the European continent and in England the zeal of the priests in propagating Christianity was so great that they sought to root out every trace of the asa-faith. They left but unintelligible fragments of the heathen religious structure. Our gods and goddesses and heroes were consigned to oblivion, and all knowledge of the Odinic religion and of the Niblung-story would have been well nigh totally obliterated had not a more lucky star hovered over the destinies of Iceland.
The Prose Edda, passage 300
Long is one night, Long are two nights, How can I hold out three? Oft to me one month Seemed less Than this half night of love.[51]
The Prose Edda, passage 1041
Thrymheim, 84, 85, 156, 259. Thucydides, 22. Thud, 81, 245. Thul, 56. Thule, 30. Thund, 81, 246. Thvite, 96. Thyn, 106. Tiber, 221. Tieck, 250. Tivisco, 244. Tom Thumb, 251. Torfason (T.), 17. Tror, 44. Tros, 43. Troy, 38, 43, 44, 47, 64, 151, 166, 167, 168, 222-224, 229. Tshudic, 240. Turkey, 38, 45, 47, 151, 166. Turkistan, 228, 229. Turkland, 229. Tyr, 6, 8, 29, 87, 92, 95, 143, 153, 165, 187, 244, 260.
The Prose Edda, passage 514
We have ample evidence Of the giant-terrifier’s[77] journey To Grjottungard, to the giant Hrungner, In the midst of encircling flames. The courage waxed high in Meile’s brother;[78] The moon-way trembled When Jord’s son[79] went To the steel-gloved contest.
The Prose Edda, passage 391
When he told these dreams to the asas they took counsel together, and it was decided that they should seek peace for Balder against all kinds of harm. So Frigg exacted an oath from fire, water, iron and all kinds of metal, stones, earth, trees, sicknesses, beasts, birds and creeping things, that they should not hurt Balder.
The Prose Edda, passage 576
He went out; but then came the fly and lighted on his neck and stung him still worse; but he continued to work the bellows until the smith took out of the furnace the gold ring called Draupner. Then Sindre placed iron in the furnace, and requested Brok to work the bellows, adding that otherwise all would be worthless.
The Prose Edda, passage 878
1. THRUDHEIM. The abode of Thor. His realm is Thrudvang, and his palace is Bilskirner.
The Prose Edda, passage 1030
Njord, 6, 42, 84, 85, 101, 153, 158, 159, 187, 227, 228, 232, 236, 237, 239, 259, 260. Njorvasnud, 225. Njorve, 225. Noah, 33, 35, 225. Noatun, 84, 85, 158, 232, 237, 259. Non, 106. Nor, 241. Nordre, 61, 70. Norfe, 65. Norns, 73-78. Norway, 215, 218, 222, 230, 236, 239, 240, 241, 251, 256, 257. Not, 106. Ny, 71. Nye, 70. Nyrad, 71. Nyerup (R.), 18.
The Prose Edda, passage 958
EIKINSKJALDE. A dwarf. EIKTHYRNER. A hart that stands over Odin’s hall. EILIF. Son of Gudrun; a skald. EIMYRJA. One of the daughters of Haloge and Glod. EINDRIDE. A name of Thor. EIR. An attendant of Menglod, and the best of all in the healing art. EKIN. One of the rivers flowing from Hvergelmer. ELDER. A servant of Æger. ELDHRIMNER. The kettle in which the boar Sahrimner is cooked in Valhal. ELIVOGS. The ice-cold streams that flow out of Niflheim. ELJUDNER. Hel’s hall. ELLE. An old woman (old age) with whom Thor wrestled in Jotunheim. EMBLA. The first woman created by Odin, Honer and Loder. ENDIL. The name of a giant. ERP. A son of Jonaker, murdered by Sorle and Hamder. EYLIME. The father of Hjordis, mother of Volsung. EYSA. One of the daughters of Haloge and Glod.
The Prose Edda, passage 376
It was also a most astonishing feat when you wrestled with Elle, for none has ever been, and none shall ever be, that Elle (eld, old age) will not get the better of him, though he gets to be old enough to abide her coming. And now the truth is that we must part; and it will be better for us both that you do not visit me again. I will again defend my burg with similar or other delusions, so that you will get no power over me.
The Prose Edda, passage 369
48. At daybreak the next day Thor and his companions arose, dressed themselves and were ready to depart. Then came Utgard-Loke and had the table spread for them, and there was no lack of feasting both in food and in drink. When they had breakfasted, they immediately departed from the burg. Utgard-Loke went with them out of the burg, but at parting he spoke to Thor and asked him how he thought his journey had turned out, or whether he had ever met a mightier man than himself.
The Prose Edda, passage 287
Freyja has many names, and the reason therefor is that she changed her name among the various nations to which she came in search of Oder. She is called Mardol, Horn, Gefn, and Syr. She has the necklace Brising, and she is called Vanadis. The seventh is Sjofn, who is fond of turning men’s and women’s hearts to love, and it is from her name that love is called Sjafne.
The Prose Edda, passage 737
And we, who live in the light of the nineteenth century, and with the records before us, can read the history of the convulsions of Europe during the decline of the Roman empire; we can understand how that leaven, which Odin left in the bosoms of the believers in the asa-faith, first fermented a long time in secret; but we can also see how in the fullness of time, the signal given, the descendants of Odin fell like a swarm of locusts upon this unhappy empire, and, after giving it many terrible shocks, eventually overturned it, thus completely avenging the insult offered so many centuries before by Pompey to their founder Odin.
The Prose Edda, passage 839
Hereupon the gods consulted together whether they should punish this misdeed, or accept a blood-fine, when Odin cast forth a spear among mankind, and now began war and slaughter in the world. The defenses of the burgh of the asas was broken down. The vans anticipated war, and hastened over the field. The valkyries came from afar, ready to ride to the gods’ people: Skuld with the shield, Skogul, Gunn, Hild, Gondul and Geirr Skogul. (Quoted by Thorpe.)
The Prose Edda, passage 112
7. Saturn had built in Crete seventy-two burgs, and when he thought himself firmly established in his kingdom, he shared it with his sons, whom he set up with himself as gods; and to Jupiter he gave the realm of heaven; to Neptune, the realm of the earth, and to Pluto, hell; and this last seemed to him the worst to manage, and therefore he gave to him his dog, the one whom he called Cerberos, to guard hell. This Cerberos, the Greeks say, Herakles dragged out of hell and upon earth.
The Prose Edda, passage 511
Odin said that Thor did wrong in giving so fine a horse to the son of a giantess, instead of to his father. Thor went home to Thrudvang, but the flint-stone still stuck fast in his head. Then came the vala whose name is Groa, the wife of Orvandel the Bold. She sang her magic songs over Thor until the flint-stone became loose. But when Thor perceived this, and was just expecting that the flint-stone would disappear, he desired to reward Groa for her healing, and make her heart glad.
The Prose Edda, passage 274
He also took into consideration that it was necessary to expose one’s self to some danger if he desired to become famous; so he let them put the fetter on him. When the asas said they were ready, the wolf shook himself, spurned against and dashed the fetter on the ground, so that the broken pieces flew a long distance. Thus he broke loose out of Drome. Since then it has been held as a proverb, “to get loose out of Lading” or “to dash out of Drome,” whenever anything is extraordinarily hard.
The Prose Edda, passage 323
Toward the end of winter the burg was far built, and it was so high and strong that it could in nowise be taken. When there were three days left before summer, the work was all completed excepting the burg gate.
The Prose Edda, passage 200
Draupner, Dolgthvare, Hor, Hugstare, Hledjolf, Gloin, Dore, Ore, Duf, Andvare, Hepte, File, Har, Siar.
The Prose Edda, passage 692
It might be interesting to institute a similar comparison between our Teutonic race-founder Odin and Ulysses, king of Ithaca, but the reader will have to do this for himself.
The Prose Edda, passage 573
Why is gold called Sif’s hair? Loke Laufey’s son had once craftily cut all the hair off Sif; but when Thor found it out he seized Loke, and would have broken every bone in him, had he not pledged himself with an oath to get the swarthy elves to make for Sif a hair of gold that should grow like other hair. Then went Loke to the dwarfs that are called Ivald’s sons, and they made the hair and Skidbladner, and the spear that Odin owned and is called Gungner.
The Prose Edda, passage 57
Snorre has compiled it in the manner in which it is arranged: first, in regard to the asas and Ymer, then Skaldskaparmal and the denominations of many things, and finally that Hattatal, which Snorre composed about King Hakon and Duke Skule.” In the fourth place, there is a passage in the so-called Annales Breviores, supposed to have been written about the year 1400. The passage relates to the year 1241, and reads thus: “Snorre Sturleson died at Reykholt.
The Prose Edda, passage 30
There are three important parchment manuscripts of the Younger Edda, viz:
The Prose Edda, passage 606
That same evening he held a wedding with Brynhild; but when they went to bed he drew his sword Gram from the sheath and placed it between them. In the morning when he had arisen, and had donned his clothes, he gave to Brynhild, as a bridal gift, the gold ring that Loke had taken from Andvare, and he received another ring as a memento from her. Then Sigurd mounted his horse and rode to his companions. He and Gunnar exchanged forms again and went back to Gjuke with Brynhild.
The Prose Edda, passage 408
Thok will weep With dry tears For Balder’s burial; Neither in life nor in death Gave he me gladness. Let Hel keep what she has!
The Prose Edda, passage 836
In the German tales the dwarfs are described as deformed and diminutive, coarsely clad and of dusky hue: “a little black man,” “a little gray man.” They are sometimes of the height of a child of four years, sometimes as two spans high, a thumb high (hence, Tom Thumb). The old Danish ballad of Eline of Villenwood mentions a troll not bigger than an ant. Dvergmál (the speech of the dwarfs) is the Old Norse expression for the echo in the mountains.
The Prose Edda, passage 722
There goes a great mountain barrier from northeast to southwest, which divides the Great Svithjod from other kingdoms. South of this mountain ridge is not far to Turkland, where Odin had great possessions.[117] But Odin, having foreknowledge and magic-sight, knew that his posterity would come to settle and dwell in the northern half of the world.
The Prose Edda, passage 264
32. Forsete is a son of Balder and Nanna, Nep’s daughter. He has in heaven the hall which hight Glitner. All who come to him with disputes go away perfectly reconciled. No better tribunal is to be found among gods and men. Thus it is here said:
The Prose Edda, passage 859
In German folk-lore, three Sisters of Fate bear the names of Wilbet, Worbet and Ainbet. Etymologically these names seem to refer to the well-disposed nature of a fay representing the Past; to the warring or worrying troubles of the Present; and to the terrors (_Ain_ = _Agin_) of the Future.
The Prose Edda, passage 432
A ship comes from the east, The hosts of Muspel Come o’er the main, And Loke is steersman. All the fell powers Are with the wolf; Along with them Is Byleist’s brother.[65]
The Prose Edda, passage 563
Heard have I that thereupon The friend of Honer flew In the guise of a falcon (He often deceived the asas with his cunning); And the strong fraudulent giant, The father of Morn, With the wings of the eagle Sped after the hawk’s child.
The Prose Edda, passage 470
3. And again said Æger: Whence originated the art that is called skaldship? Made answer Brage: The beginning of this was, that the gods had a war with the people that are called vans. They agreed to hold a meeting for the purpose of making peace, and settled their dispute in this wise, that they both went to a jar and spit into it.
The Prose Edda, passage 843
It has always struck me as noteworthy that in the greater part of the scene between the Weird Sisters, Macbeth and Banquo, and wherever the Witches come in, Shakspeare uses the staff-rime in a remarkable manner. Not only does this add powerfully to the archaic impressiveness and awe, but it also seems to bring the form and figure of the Sisters of Fate more closely within the circle of the Teutonic idea. I have pointed out this striking use of the alliterative system in _Macbeth_ in an article on “An old German Poem and a Vedic Hymn,” which appeared in _Fraser_ in June, 1877, and in which the derivation of the Weird Sisters from the Germanic Norns is mentioned.
The Prose Edda, passage 256
26. Brage is the name of another of the asas. He is famous for his wisdom, eloquence and flowing speech. He is a master-skald, and from him song-craft is called brag (poetry), and such men or women as distinguish themselves by their eloquence are called brag-men[42] and brag-women. His wife is Idun. She keeps in a box those apples of which the gods eat when they grow old, and then they become young again, and so it will be until Ragnarok (the twilight of the gods). Then said Ganglere: Of great importance to the gods it must be, it seems to me, that Idun preserves these apples with care and honesty. Har answered, and laughed: They ran a great risk on one occasion, whereof I might tell you more, but you shall first hear the names of more asas.
The Prose Edda, passage 716
But when Hœner stood in the Things, or other meetings, if Mimer was not near him, and any difficult matter was laid before him, he always answered in one way: Now let others give their advice; so that the Vanaland people got a suspicion that the Asaland people had deceived them in the exchange of men. They took Mimer, therefore, and beheaded him, and sent his head to the Asaland people. Odin took the head, smeared it with herbs, so that it should not rot, and sang incantations over it.
The Prose Edda, passage 283
The wolf opened his mouth terribly wide, raged and twisted himself with all his might, and wanted to bite them; but they put a sword in his mouth, in such a manner that the hilt stood in his lower jaw and the point in the upper, that is his gag. He howls terribly, and the saliva which runs from his mouth forms a river called Von. There he will lie until Ragnarok. Then said Ganglere: Very bad are these children of Loke, but they are strong and mighty.
The Prose Edda, passage 883
The favorite numbers are three, nine and twelve. Monotheism was recognized in the unknown god, who is from everlasting to everlasting. A number of trinities were established, and the nine worlds were classified into three groups. The week had nine days, and originally there were probably but nine gods, that is, before the vans were united with the asas. The number nine occurs where Heimdal is said to have nine mothers, Menglad is said to have nine maid-servants, Æger had nine daughters, etc. When the vans were united with the asas, the number rose to twelve:
The Prose Edda, passage 419
Brothers will fight together And become each other’s bane; Sisters’ children Their sib shall spoil.[62] Hard is the world, Sensual sins grow huge. There are ax-ages, sword-ages-- Shields are cleft in twain,-- There are wind-ages, wolf-ages, Ere the world falls dead.[63]
The Prose Edda, passage 809
What the etymology of all these names is, it is not easy to tell. The most of them are clearly Norse words, and express the various activities of their owner. It is worthy of notice that it is added when and where Odin bore this or that name (his name was Grim at Geirrod’s, Jalk at Asmund’s, etc.), and that the words sometimes indicate a progressive development, as Thund, then Ygg, and then Odin.
The Prose Edda, passage 472
They mixed honey with the blood, and thus was produced such mead that whoever drinks from it becomes a skald and sage. The dwarfs told the asas that Kvaser had choked in his wisdom, because no one was so wise that he could ask him enough about learning.
The Prose Edda, passage 1012
Gaelic, 257. Gagnrad, 247. Galar, 160, 161. Gandolf, 70. Gandvik, 179. Gang, 159. Ganglare, 81. Ganglate, 92. Ganglere, 245, 246, 247. Ganglot, 92. Gangrad, 58. Gardarike, 230. Gardie, de la, 17. Gardrofa, 99. Garm, 8, 108, 143. Gaut, 81. Gave, 46. Gefjun, 49, 50, 97, 153, 187, 231, 242. Gefn, 97. Gegenwart, Die, 252. Geibel, Em., 267. Geir, 46. Geirabod, 99. Geirrod, 81, 176-183, 245, 246. Geir Skogul, 252. Geirvimul, 106. Gelgja, 96. Gelmer, 248. Gerd, 101-113, 153, 228, 238, 262, 265.
The Prose Edda, passage 951
A giantess; mother of the Fenris-wolf. ANNAR. Husband of Night and father of Jord. ARVAK. The name of one of the horses of the sun. ASAHEIM. The home of the asas. ASALAND. The land of the asas. ASAS. The Teutonic gods. ASA-THOR. A common name for Thor. ASGARD. The residence of the gods. ASK. The name of the first man created by Odin, Honer and Loder. ASLAUG. Daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild. ASMUND. A man visited by Odin. ASYNJES. The Teutonic goddesses. ATLE.
The Prose Edda, passage 155
And when this ice stopped and flowed no more, then gathered over it the drizzling rain that arose from the venom and froze into rime, and one layer of ice was laid upon the other clear into Ginungagap. Then said Jafnhar: All that part of Ginungagap that turns toward the north was filled with thick and heavy ice and rime, and everywhere within were drizzling rains and gusts. But the south part of Ginungagap was lighted up by the glowing sparks that flew out of Muspelheim.
The Prose Edda, passage 966
GRABAK. One of the serpents under Ygdrasil. GRAD. One of the streams flowing from Hvergelmer. GRAFVITNER. A serpent under Ygdrasil. GRAFVOLLUD. A serpent under Ygdrasil. GRAM. Sigurd’s sword. GRANE. Sigurd’s horse. GREIP. One of the daughters of Geirrod. GRID. A giantess visited by Thor. GRIDARVOL. Grid’s staff. GRIM. A name of Odin. GRIMHILD. Gjuke’s queen. GRIMNER. One of the names of Odin. GRJOTTUNGARD. The place where Thor fought with Hrungner. GROA. A giantess, mother of Orvandel. GROTTE.
The Prose Edda, passage 229
Mad are you, Loke! And out of your senses; Why do you not stop? Fortunes all, Methinks, Frigg knows, Though she tells them not herself.[31]
The Prose Edda, passage 637
King Frode had the maid-servants led to the mill, and requested them to grind for him gold and peace, and Frode’s happiness. Then he gave them no longer time to rest or sleep than while the cuckoo was silent or while they sang a song. It is said that they sang the song called the Grottesong, and before they ended it they ground out a host against Frode; so that on the same night there came the sea-king, whose name was Mysing, and slew Frode and took a large amount of booty.